165 Why Students Keep Asking “When Will I Ever Use This?” (And What That’s Really Telling You)

165 Why Students Keep Asking “When Will I Ever Use This?” (And What That’s Really Telling You)

From Modern Math Teacher- Teaching Strategies for High School and Middle School Math Teachers by Kristen Moore- High School Algebra Teacher + AI Educator + PBL Coach

April 14, 2026 · 10 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of making math relevant to students to enhance their engagement and understanding.

When students ask this question, it’s not about attitude. 👉 It’s about relevance. In this episode, we break down what students are really asking—and how to start making math feel more meaningful without redesigning your entire curriculum. In This Episode: Why students struggle to see the value in mathWhy common teacher responses don’t workWhat students actually need to stay engagedA simple shift to make your lessons more relevant Key Takeaway: Students engage when math feels useful—not just ...

People in this episode

Host: Kristen Moore

Topics covered

  • student engagement
  • math relevance
  • teaching strategies
  • curriculum design
  • student attitudes

Keywords

  • math education
  • student questions
  • curriculum relevance
  • teaching math
  • engagement strategies

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